Recapping the most important performances from top fantasy football rookies of 2018 and looking ahead to their next matchups.
Sam Darnold, QB, New York Jets
Sam Darnold was spectacularly OK in this week’s game against the Bears. With Khalil Mack being announced as inactive before the game, I thought the door for Darnold to have a good performance was opened a bit, but that didn’t seem to be the case. He struggled for much of the day, going just 14-for-29 for 153 yards and a 4th quarter touchdown toss to Chris Herndon. He did, however, have his first interception-less game since Week 4.
Next week, the Jets head to Miami to take on the Dolphins. This provides another tough matchup for Darnold as the Dolphins allow just 15.4 fantasy points per game to opposing quarterbacks, ranking 9th in the league. Darnold should not be started in standard re-draft leagues; but for the dynasty owners that are sitting on him for the future, he’s getting a lot of valuable experience that will pay dividends in the future once the Jets start supplying him with more offensive weapons.
Baker Mayfield, QB, Cleveland Browns
In a favorable matchup against the defensively-stunted Steelers this week, Baker Mayfield was very average. He completed over 60% of his passes, going 22-for-36, but threw for just 180 yards (5.0 yards per attempt), his lowest mark of the season. The good news, however, is he was able to find the end zone two more times, something he’s doing very consistently for a young quarterback.
Mayfield has another juicy matchup this week, as the Browns welcome the Chiefs and their 27th ranked defense against opposing fantasy quarterbacks. We’ve all heard about the now infamous Mayfield (Oklahoma)-Mahomes (Texas Tech) matchup in college that featured a combined 14 touchdowns for the two quarterbacks. I don’t see them putting up quite as much offensive output as their college showdown, but it should be a high-scoring affair that allows for quality fantasy numbers from Mayfield.
Josh Rosen, QB, Arizona Cardinals
Josh Rosen had, by far, the best game of his young career this week against the 49ers. He started very slowly, but got it together and threw two 4th quarter touchdown passes to complete the comeback and defeat San Francisco 18-15. After it was all said and done, he went 23-for-40 for 252 yards, 2 touchdowns and one interception.
Next week, the Cardinals will have the week off and will begin preparing for the Chiefs in Week 10. As previously mentioned, Kansas City has a very weak pass defense this year and should provide opportunity for Rosen to make some plays in the passing game. It’ll be interesting to see how Rosen approaches his first bye week as a professional and if he comes out firing in Kansas City in two weeks.
Saquon Barkley, RB, New York Giants
Following his “dud” in Week 7, Saquon Barkley provided another dud in Week 8 against Washington. The Redskins boast the 2nd ranked rush defense in the NFL and they proved it on Sunday. Following impressive performances against Christian McCaffrey and Ezekiel Elliott, the Redskins held Barkley to 38 yards rushing on 13 carries, less than 3 yards per carry. He did add 9 receptions on 10 targets for 73 yards but failed to find the end zone for the first time since Week 2.
The Giants have a much needed bye in Week 9, providing the offense with a break to try to gather themselves before they head to San Francisco in Week 10. The 49ers should provide Barkley with an opportunity to get back to fantasy dominance as they rank 23rd in the NFL, allowing 21.9 fantasy points per game to opposing running backs.
Kerryon Johnson, RB, Detroit Lions
Following the best performance of his career, Kerryon Johnson really struggled Sunday against Seattle. The flow of the game dictated some of it forcing him to only receive 8 carries in the contest, gaining just 22 yards. He struggled to find any rhythm as the Lions played catch up most the day, but on the bright side, he receive 12 targets, doubling his season high, and converted 6 receptions for 69 yards.
Next week, the Lions head to Minnesota for a divisional clash against the Vikings. This will not be an ideal matchup for Johnson as they rank 9th in the NFL allowing just 14.9 fantasy points per game to opposing running backs. There is opportunity for backs to make plays in the passing game against the Vikings, however, and Johnson showed this week that he’s capable of doing that.
Phillip Lindsay, RB, Denver Broncos
Philip Lindsay has taken the starting role in Denver, and run with it, literally. For the second week in a row, he’s amassed over 90 rushing yards and a touchdown. There were a lot of questions before the season as to who would take control of the Broncos’ backfield, and Lindsay has seemingly put a stop to those questions, for now. Over the last two weeks, he’s averaged 5.8 yards per attempt, gaining 185 yards on 32 carries and two scores.
Next week, Lindsay and the Broncos will host the Texans. Houston has been middle-of-the-pack when it comes to stopping backs allowing 15.7 fantasy points per game to opposing running backs, 13th in the league. If Case Keenum can build on his solid performance this week and keep making plays down the field, it’ll allow Lindsay to continue to make big plays in the running game as well.
Courtland Sutton, WR Denver Broncos
Don’t look now, but Sutton is slowly gaining the confidence of the Broncos’ coaching staff and getting more downfield opportunities. He set a new season (and career) high with 78 receiving yards on 3 catches Sunday against the Chiefs. Averaging 26.0 yards per reception, it’s clear that he’s getting big play opportunities and it’s a matter of time for the touchdown numbers to follow suit.
Next week, the Texans come to town and provide a difficult matchup for Sutton and the Broncos passing attack. Allowing just 20.4 fantasy points per game to opposing wide receiver groups, there hasn’t been much room to roam deep against this secondary. However, with Demaryius Thomas now gone and the injury concern for Emmanuel Sanders, Sutton should receive more targets than usual; it’ll be interesting to see what he does with them.
Christian Kirk, WR, Arizona Cardinals
Christian Kirk has been receiving a more consistent level of targets in recent weeks, and he’s starting to do more with them. He has become the clear second option behind Larry Fitzgerald in the Cardinals’ offense and he looks comfortable in the role. He had just 42 yards on 3 receptions this week, but he did receive 7 more targets, which is promising. In addition, he caught the game-winning touchdown late in the 4th quarter.
The Cardinals will be enjoying their bye next week before prepping for a battle with the Chiefs in Week 10. The added time can only benefit Kirk as it gives extra time for rookie quarterback and rookie wide receiver to build some more chemistry together. As Fitzgerald rides into the sunset of his NFL career, Rosen and Kirk will benefit by building a connection on the field that could translate to success for both in their respective NFL careers. Fantasy owners will enjoy that, too.
D.J. Moore, WR Carolina Panthers
After receiving just 8 targets in the Panthers’ first 4 games, D.J. Moore has received 16 targets in the past 3 games. He is showing the play-making ability that made him a college standout at the University of Maryland and the Carolina coaching staff is seeing it as well. He set season highs with 5 catches and 90 yards in Sunday’s win over the Ravens. It’s only a matter of time before he starts finding the end zone, as well.
Next week, the Panthers host the Buccaneers. This game should be the perfect opportunity for Moore to explode into fantasy relevance. Tampa Bay ranks 29th in the NFL allowing 30.6 fantasy points per game to opposing wide receiver groups and should make for a high-scoring affair. It would definitely be wise to stash Moore on your roster in anticipation of what’s to come for the rookie wideout.
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